beginnen Dutch · revision 37245

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=gem-pro *biginnaną}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bəˈɣɪnə(n)/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''beginnen'''^(Wiktionary)

+ Middle Dutch had, beside the strong past ''began'', the forms ''begonde'' and ''begonste'', modelled on the past tenses of ''gunnen'' and ''kunnen''.^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(VMNW)

+ In 17th-century Dutch ''began'' was still used beside ''begon''.^(WNT)

+ Flemish dialects kept ''begost'' and a present ''begunnen''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|dum|beginnen]], [[inh|odt|biginnan]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*biginnan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*biginnaną|t=to begin]], made with the prefix [[be-]] from a verb [[m|gem-pro|*ginnaną]] that is found only with prefixes.^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997)^(De Vries 1971) The same word is [[osx|biginnan]], [[goh|biginnan]] (modern [[de|beginnen]]), [[ofs|biginna]] (modern [[fy|begjinne]]) and [[ang|beginnan]] (modern [[en|begin]]).^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) With other prefixes the base appears in [[ontginnen]], which in Middle Dutch meant “to begin” and “to cut into”, in [[goh|inginnan]], [[ang|onginnan]] and in [[got|𐌳𐌿𐌲𐌹𐌽𐌽𐌰𐌽|tr=duginnan|t=to begin]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) North Germanic does not have the word.^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|63)

+

+ The origin of the base is uncertain.^(EWN)^(Van Veen & Van der Sijs 1997) Franck–Van Wijk thought the only plausible comparison [[sq|zë|t=to touch, catch, begin]], which would point to a root [[ine-pro|*gʰen-]];^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries 1971) De Vries objected that a root known only from Germanic and Albanian is weak evidence.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries 1971) Others start from a sense “to take hold of”, as in [[aanvangen]] and [[la|incipiō|t=to begin]] beside [[m|la|capiō|t=to seize]], and connect it with [[m|ine-pro|*gʰed-]], the root of [[vergeten]] and [[en|get]], seen in [[m|la|prehendō|t=to grasp]] and [[grc|χανδάνω|tr=khandánō|t=to hold, contain]];^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Van Haeringen did not find this more convincing.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Haeringen 1936) De Vries wondered whether the word, so richly developed in Germanic, came from a substrate.^(De Vries 1971)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The verb is first recorded as the Old Dutch past tense ''begunsta'' glossing Latin ''coepi'' “I began” in the Wachtendonck Psalms of the 10th century.^(EWN)^(ONW)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Around 1100 the Egmond Williram says that when the king sat on his throne ''begunda min salfwerz meer ande meer ze stinchene'' “my ointment began to give off more and more scent”.^(ONW)^(EWN) Middle Dutch ''beghinnen'' is found in Ghent in 1236.^(VMNW)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|63)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old and Middle Dutch used the verb with an infinitive, with or without ''te'', with an object in the accusative or genitive, and intransitively for “to arise, come about”.^(ONW)^(VMNW)^(MNW) Middle Dutch also used it for broaching a subject, and in ''tvelt beginnen'' for opening a battle.^(MNW) The Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal, writing in 1897, notes that the perfect, now formed with ''zijn'', was formerly almost always formed with ''hebben''.^(WNT) ''Bezint eer ge begint'' “think before you begin” is a familiar saying.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ The verb passed into Danish (''begynde''), Norwegian (''begynne'') and Swedish (''begynna'') from Dutch or Low German, and into Negerhollands, Berbice Dutch and Sranan Tongo as ''bigin''.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – Old Dutch ''begunsta'' “began” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * c. 1100 – ''Beginnen'' in the Egmond Williram.^(EWN)^(ONW)

+ * 1236 – Middle Dutch ''beghinnen'' in Ghent.^(VMNW)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|63)

+ * 1240 – ''Beginnen'' glosses Latin ''incipere'' in a Limburg word list.^(VMNW)

+ * 1564 – Wells ''begoesten'' “began” to freeze over, with the weak past.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|begin]], to start doing something: ''Wanneer begin je aan je nieuwe baan?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To extend from a certain point: ''Het bos begint achter de kerk.''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To begin to happen, to [[m|en|commence]]: ''De film begint om acht uur.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To start, set going: ''een winkel beginnen''.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek) ''Niets kunnen beginnen met iets'' is to be at a loss what to do with it.^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[begin]]

+ * [[beginneling]]

+ * [[beginner]]

+ * [[beginsel]]

+ * [[beginpunt]]

+ * [[beginstadium]]

+ * [[herbeginnen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[ontginnen]]

+ * [[de|beginnen]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}